Hoenn's Tempest
by Erin Primette
Summary: May began her Pokémon journey shortly after moving to the Hoenn region. Along the way, she also discovers that disaster will soon strike, threatening to destroy the Hoenn region. But little does she know that she has been chosen by one particular Legendary Pokémon with the power of the sea to help him save it. Is she even willing to shoulder this burden?
1. Chapter 1

To celebrate the release of Pokémon X and Y, I thought I'd make a multi-chapter fic of Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald. However, there's going to be a plot twist. You're just going to have to figure it out yourself.

Pokémon belongs to Nintendo, not me!

* * *

13-year old May sat quietly in the moving truck, surrounded by boxes. She may have anticipated that her family had to move to the Hoenn region, but she was a bit disappointed that out of all the places, their new home is somewhere in Littleroot Town. She was starting to get a little bored, though.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the moving truck suddenly stopped. Moments later, the door opened and May jumped outside, where she was met with green grass. May took only a moment to take in her surroundings when her mom, Caroline, met up with her.

"Well," chirped Caroline, "we're here. I guess it's pretty tiring while riding with our things in the moving truck."

"Now you're telling me," sighed May.

"So," continued Caroline, "what do you think of Littleroot Town so far? It does have a quaint feel, but it's quite an easy place to live, don't you agree?"

"I guess," replied May, "but it's really hot out here."

Caroline then led May into the new house, where there were a few Machokes and Vigoroths carrying boxes from the moving truck and maybe unpacking a few of them.

"It's really convenient to have some Pokémon help us out," smiled Caroline, "also, you even get your own room! Why don't you check it out? It's upstairs."

"Well, ok," said May.

May ascended the staircase, and located her new bedroom. At least it was better than that apartment back in Olivine City. While taking in the surroundings, May's face lit up as she found her yellow fanny pack on her bed. Without hesitation, she swiped it and buckled it around her waist. She then went down the stairs, where her mom was waiting for her rather impatiently.

"Oh May," exclaimed Caroline, "come look! It's Petalburg Gym! Maybe your Dad will be on!"

May's mom then ushered her to the TV downstairs in the blink of an eye, however…

"Now that concludes our report in Petalburg Gym," said the TV announcer.

"Aww, bummer," sighed Caroline, "I think we missed him. Oh well. Then again, one of your Dad's friends lives here; aka Professor Birch, who lives next door, as a matter of fact. Why don't you go over and introduce yourself, ok?"

"_Well,"_ thought May, _"I could always go out for fresh air, anyways."_

"Ok," acknowledged May.

May then sprinted out the door. Before she could find the neighboring house, she suddenly noticed a sign that said something about wildfires. She approached the sign and studied the details thoroughly. To her surprise, the sign indicated that the fire danger was labeled as severe. Curious, May turned to one of the nearby neighbors.

"Excuse me," said May, "I heard that Hoenn is flourishing with nature, but that sign told me that some sort of forest fire is imminent. What gives?"

"Well," replied neighbor, "there's been a drought that's been going on since three months ago. Authorities said that this one is severe, but I'm not sure why."

"Ok," mumbled May, "that sounds kinda strange."

May headed for the house adjacent to hers. When, she knocked on the door, she was greeted by a lady.

"Oh hi," said the lady, "you must be May, our new neighbor!"

"That's right," smiled May.

The next thing May knew, this lady invited her into the house.

"Professor Birch and I have a son the same age as you," continued the lady, "he was excited about making a new friend."

"Professor Birch has a son?" pondered May.

"Brendan," called the lady, "come down here!"

Before long, a boy with white hair and a headband staggered down the stairs.

"Jeez, mom," protested the boy, "I was just getting ready to go outside!"

"Come on," assured the lady, "there's no need to rush. Why don't you say hello to our new neighbor?"

The boy then turned to May.

"Oh," said the boy, "so _**you're**_ May?"

May nodded.

"I didn't know you were a girl," continued the boy, "my dad said that our next-door neighbor is a Gym Leader's kid, so I thought you'd be a guy."

"What?" warbled May.

"No offense. I'm Brendan," said the boy, "and I was going out to help my dad catch some wild Pokémon. So, I'll see you later?"

"Sure thing, Brendan," replied May.

Brendan then stormed out of the house while his mom went back to organizing the pantry. May soon left the house and began searching for the Pokémon lab in Littleroot Town. Her search was suddenly interrupted by a scream.

"Someone help me!" screamed someone from the distance.

May quickly raced north to the edge of the town, and then gaped in surprise to an interesting sight. A man with a white jacket was being chased by a Poochyena. The chase went on for a brief moment until the man noticed May's presence.

"Hey you," panicked the man, "could you help me out and drive away this Pokémon? There are a few Pokéballs in my bag, use one!"

Without saying anything, May scrambled to a bag lying on the ground and pulled out one of the Pokéballs. After tossing it in the air, the Pokéball opened up and out came a Torchic. Just then, the Poochyena turned its focus to the Torchic.

"Scratch it," commanded May.

Torchic then scratched the Poochyena in the face, which sent it running. Just then, the man in the white jacket sighed in relief.

"Thank you," he said, "maybe I should've kept a Pokémon with me when studying in the tall grass."

"Are you Professor Birch?" asked May.

"Of course," answered Professor Birch, "and you must be May. I've heard so much about you from your father."

Professor Birch then led May to the Pokémon lab in Littleroot Town.

"I heard that you didn't have a Pokémon back then," said Professor Birch, "but the way you've battled earlier, I didn't think you'd pull it off that easily."

"I guess I _**kinda**_ take after my dad," admitted May.

"Well," replied Professor Birch, "since you rescued me, you can have that Pokémon you picked out."

"Thanks."

"I'm sure you'd make a great trainer," continued Professor Birch, "my son, Brendan, is also studying Pokémon while helping me out. Why don't you go say hello to him? He could teach you all about being a Trainer."

May nodded in agreement before exiting the lab. After that, she ventured through Route 101. It was a bit brief, but after a few run-ins with a few Zigzagoons and a Poochyena, May reached Oldale Town. While traversing through Oldale Town, May noticed a Pokémon Center as well as a Poké Mart.

_"Well,"_ thought May, _"I guess Torchic is fine for now, but I think I may need a few supplies just in case."_

May entered the Poké Mart, where she managed to buy a few Potions. After heading out of the Poké Mart, she headed straight for Route 103, where Brendan was kneeling at the ground, surveying the area. He soon noticed May's presence the instant she approached him.

"Hey, it's you again," said Brendan, "did dad send you out here?"

"Sort of," replied May, as she sent out her Torchic, "since I just got my Pokémon, maybe you could show me what it's like being a trainer?"

Brendan got to his feet and sent out a Mudkip.

"Well," said Brendan, "I guess a little battle doesn't hurt. Ready, Mudkip?"

Brendan's Mudkip nodded.

"Ok Torchic," commanded May, "Scratch!"

"Mudkip," ordered Brendan, "Tackle!"

Mudkip charged at Torchic, who leaped into the air and gave Mudkip a big scratch on its head. Then, Mudkip tackled into Torchic. Surprisingly, Torchic gave Mudkip another scratch, forcing it to back away. Torchic then jumped into the air and dispatched Mudkip with another scratch. Brendan then withdrew Mudkip into its Pokéball.

"Not too shabby," commented Brendan, as he gave May her victory money, "_**now**_ I see why my dad's looking out for you. It looks like you can befriend any Pokémon.

"Kinda," replied May.

May glanced at Torchic, who seemed to be happy. Maybe it likes her?

"How about we head back to the lab?" suggested Brendan.

The next thing she knew, May and Brendan raced through Oldale Town and Route 101 while jumping off ledges along the way, and even May's Torchic participated in this little race. Before long, they made it to the Pokémon lab in Littleroot Town, where Professor Birch was waiting for them.

"Welcome back, son," said Professor Birch, "did you show May what it's like being a Trainer?"

"Yeah," replied Brendan, "and she even beat me."

"I guess you could say that," said May.

Professor Birch turned to May while offering her a little device in his hands.

"I ordered this Pokédex for my research," said Professor Birch, "but I think you should have it."

"Thanks, Professor," smiled May.

"You're also going to need these to catch Pokémon," added Brendan, as he offered some Pokéballs.

May nodded as she kindly accepted these gifts.

"You see," said Professor Birch, "Brendan has been helping me out with my research for a long time, so he has pretty much some history as a Trainer himself."

"Yeah," replied Brendan, "but there are still some things that even _**I**_ don't know myself. But I'll bet you I'll try to catch any cool Pokémon I find."

May nodded in agreement.

_"Well,"_ thought May, _"since I'm starting my journey now, I'd better talk to my mom about it before I go."_

May then left the Pokémon lab with Torchic following her and headed for her house, where her mom was just finishing putting the food in the pantry.

"So," said Caroline, "did you introduce yourself to Professor Birch?"

"Yep," replied May, "and he even let me pick out a Pokémon."

Caroline's face lit up the instant she glanced at Torchic.

"Why that's very nice," smiled Caroline, "that really is an adorable Pokémon!"

"Yeah, I agree," replied May.

"Well," said Caroline, "you really are your father's child. You look good together with Pokémon. If you're going out on an adventure, then try these on."

May's mom then offered her a new pair of shoes, which she kindly accepted and slipped them on.

"To think that now you have your own Pokémon," continued Caroline, "your father will be overjoyed, but please be careful, ok?"

"I will," replied May.

After this simple goodbye, May headed out of Littleroot Town, for her journey has now started.


	2. Chapter 2

Pokémon belongs to Nintendo, not me!

* * *

As May ventured through Route 102, she figured that she might need a few more Pokémon for her team. She searched through the tall grass in hopes of finding one. Soon, she came across a Seedot. After analyzing it with her Pokédex, May decided to add this Seedot to her team as she soon sent out her Torchic, and Torchic gave Seedot a nice scratch. The Seedot was barely standing by then as May then tossed a Pokéball, which pulled the Seedot inside. After that, May waited as the Pokéball started shaking. After a few times, the light in the middle of the ball faded away.

Soon, May's face lit up as she picked up the Pokéball. Maybe this wasn't so bad. She quickly raced to Oldale Town to heal it up at the Pokémon Center before setting out again. Now that she has two Pokémon, May figured that maybe her Seedot deserves just as much training as her Torchic. While wandering through the route, she came across another trainer who challenged her to battle. May was able to nail it just like she did with Brendan before moving on.

Before long, she has arrived at Petalburg City. After a visit from the Pokémon Center, May headed straight for the Pokémon Gym, hoping to reunite with her dad. The instant she entered the gym, she came across her dad, Norman.

"Hey Dad," smiled May.

"Well," replied Norman, "if it isn't May. So, you're all finished moving in?"

"Pretty much," said May, "and I got my own Pokémon."

May then sent out Torchic and Norman knelt down before giving Torchic a friendly smile. Then he got to his feet and glanced back at May.

"I'm quite surprised that you got here by yourself," said Norman, "and now that you have a Pokemon, I guess you're going to become a trainer like me. Well, that's great news!"

"Thanks," replied May, "I'm just getting started."

Just then, a green-haired boy nervously came into the gym and approached Norman.

"Excuse me," said the boy, "I'd like to get a Pokémon, please…"

May felt a little confused, until she noticed that her dad's eyes lit up.

"You must be Wally, right?" said Norman.

The boy nodded.

"I'm going to stay in Verdanturf Town with my relatives," explained Wally, "but I thought I might feel lonely, so I wanted to take a Pokémon along with me. But then, I don't even know how to catch one."

"Would you like me to show you how to do it?" suggested May.

"Well, thanks," replied Wally, while chuckling nervously.

"In that case," stated Norman, while offering Wally a Zigzagoon and a Pokéball, "I'll lend you this Pokémon for a bit."

The next thing she knew, May led Wally out of Petalburg Town back to Route 102 and they started searching the tall grass. Soon, they came across a Ralts.

"Ok," stammered Wally, "so I found a Pokémon, now what do I do?"

"Just weaken it with the Pokémon my dad got you and _**then**_ you use the Pokéball," instructed May.

"Ok then," replied Wally, "here goes!"

Wally then sent out the Zigzagoon.

"T-Tackle!"

The Zigzagoon charged into the Ralts without warning. Just as the Ralts staggered a bit, Wally nervously tossed the Pokéball at Ralts, which pulled it inside. Then, after a few shakes, the light in the middle of the ball faded out.

"I did it?" gasped Wally, "I did it!"

"Good job, Wally!" cheered May.

May then led Wally back to Petalburg Gym and Wally returned the Zigzagoon.

"Thank you guys so much," smiled Wally, "I'll take really good care of it, I promise!"

Wally then charged out of Petalburg Gym, as May gazed at Norman.

"Hey Dad," asked May, "since you're a Gym Leader, how about he have a battle right here?"

"Sorry May," answered Norman, "but that will have to wait until later."

"Ugh," groaned May, "that's just great! _**Now**_ what am I supposed to do?"

"Hey, take it easy," persuaded Norman, "I have a better idea; why don't you head for the Gym in Rustboro City and challenge Roxanne? And don't forget to try other Gyms while you're at it, ok?"

May paused for a moment in thought.

"Well," sighed May, "ok then."

May trudged out of Petalburg Gym and headed out of Petalburg City. Upon arriving at Route 104, May glanced at the ocean and greeted it with her smile. May figured that maybe moving to Hoenn was worth it since she can visit the ocean at anytime. Just then, she noticed a massive Pokémon that seemed to be spy-hopping.

Curious, May slowly approached the beach, hoping to get a closer look at this rather majestic Pokémon. However, just as May set foot onto the beach, she suddenly paused as the massive Pokémon gazed its yellow eyes directly at her blue eyes. Did this Pokémon just notice her?

After a brief moment, the Pokémon turned away. Unfortunately, May hasn't even pulled out her Pokédex yet, and she quickly raced towards the Pokémon.

"Hey, wait!" called May, "where are you going?"

Unfortunately, by the time she reached the edge of the beach, the Pokémon seemingly vanished without a trace as it dived into the ocean.

"Ugh, damn it," grumbled May, "it got away!"

May really wished that she didn't scare away the Pokémon like that, so she could identify it with her Pokédex. Fortunately, she remembered exactly what it looked like in case she ever ran into it again.

Just as May left the beach, she noticed another sign just like the one in Littleroot Town. Then she realized that since Torchic has recently learned Ember, it would be a really bad idea to have her use the ability in battle, since it might just trigger a forest fire. May then decided to find another Pokémon that would compensate for this disadvantage, as she didn't want to get busted for setting a forest on fire.

May searched through the tall grass until a Taillow jumped at her. Startled, May unknowingly flung a Pokéball at the Taillow, which pulled it inside. While the Pokéball was shaking, May had a sneaky suspicion that the Taillow might break out easily, since she didn't weaken it first. To her surprise, the light in the middle of the ball faded away.

"_Well,"_ thought May, as she picked up the Pokéball, _"that was the rarest moment I've ever been through."_

After finding a few items on the ground and fighting a few trainers, May entered Petalburg Woods. While meandering through the woods, as she passed by some wild Pokémon, she ran into a man that seemed to be looking for something.

"Excuse me, miss," he asked, "have you seen any Pokémon called Shroomish around here?"

"I've seen one," answered May, "but I don't think they're as common as the bug Pokémon in these woods."

"Thanks," said the man, "I just hope I can find one soon. I really love that Pokémon."

Suddenly, a thug dressed like a pirate interrupted their short conversation.

"You're a Devon researcher, aren't you?" said the thug, pointing at the man, "hand over those papers!"

The Devon researcher shrieked as he skittered behind May.

"Please," begged the Devon researcher, "you've got to help me!"

"Oh really?" sneered the thug, "anyone who crosses Team Aqua gets no mercy, not even a kid!"

"As if I was expecting any mercy from a creep like you!" spouted May.

May then sent out her Torchic as the thug sent out a Poochyena.

"Tackle!" shouted the thug.

"Scratch it up!" instructed May.

The Poochyena charged at Torchic, but Torchic quickly jumped to the side. Torchic then jumped at Poochyena and gave it a nice scratch. Enraged, the Poochyena tackled Torchic into a tree, knocking her out cold.

"Torchic!" cried May, as she returned her Torchic into its Pokéball.

"Heh," sneered the thug, "you think you have guts, just give it up!"

May shook her head as she sent out her Taillow. Her Seedot had yet to learn an ability that would be useful. The thug's Poochyena charged at Taillow, but Taillow was able to dodge by flying up into the air. Then Taillow took out Poochyena with a sharp peck. The thug then returned his fainted Poochyena into its Pokéball.

"You've got some nerve meddling with Team Aqua, kid," commented the thug, "if only I had more Pokémon. Oh well, we're just going to snag something in Rustboro, anyways…"

The Team Aqua thug then left May and the Devon researcher at peace.

"That was close!" sighed the Devon researcher.

"Uh," replied May, "didn't that guy say he was after something in Rustboro?"

"Oh no," gasped the researcher, "it must be a crisis! I can't just stand here and waste time!"

The researcher was about to leave the woods, but then turned back to May and offered her a Great Ball.

"Thanks for saving me earlier," said the researcher.

After the researcher left, May continued to wander through the Petalburg Woods. She wasn't sure how long it took, but she eventually got out of the woods. Nearby, she noticed a flower shop.

_"Maybe I can find my mom's favorite flowers here,"_ thought May.

However, just as she was approaching the shop, May suddenly got pelted by watermelon seeds. She glanced at a kid, who was holding a watermelon slice as he took another bite.

"Hey, watch where you're spitting!" shouted May.

"Uh, sorry!" exclaimed the kid, "I just like to fill my mouth with seeds and spitting them out, that's all."

"Ok," countered May, "but you didn't have to spit on random people like that!"

The kid pulled out a Technical Machine and offered it to May.

"Well," said the kid, "do you mind taking this as an apology? It's called Bullet Seed."

"Ok," replied May, "just don't do it again."

"I won't."

After accepting the Technical Machine, May entered the flower shop and approached the clerk.

"Hello," said the clerk, "welcome to the Pretty Petal flower shop. Can I get you anything today?"

"Well," replied May, "I was wondering if you have any gardening tools I can give to my mom? Her birthday's in a few weeks."

"I can special order a gardening set for you if you like," suggested the clerk, "until then, would you like to try growing berries?"

May remembered finding a few berries along the way. After she nodded, the clerk then pulled out a Wailmer Pail. May had to pay for it, though, but it was worth it.

"You know how to plant berries in the loamy soil, right?" asked the clerk.

"I do," answered May, "I helped out my mom with her gardening sometimes. By the way, I'm May."

"That's a nice name," replied the clerk, "my dream is to fill the world with beautiful flowers, you see?"

May nodded in agreement. After this conversation ended, May left the shop and headed north for Rustboro City. After healing her Pokémon at the Pokémon Center, May activated the Technical Machine she was given, and her Seedot was able to learn Bullet Seed over time.

While in Rustboro City, she also came across a person who kindly gave her a Hidden Machine labeled Cut. But then, just as she left the Poké Mart after stocking up on supplies, it was already getting dark out, so May headed for the Pokémon Center to rest up for the night. At least her first Gym battle was not going anywhere.

* * *

Coming up, May has her first Gym battle, and will she ever learn more about that mysterious Pokémon?


	3. Chapter 3

Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri, not me!

* * *

The following morning, after a spot of breakfast, May headed for Rustboro Gym and reserved a match with the Gym Leader at the lobby; although she had to wait a while for her match. While waiting, she came across an old man, who seemed to be looking for something.

"Excuse me," he said, "but do you know where my beloved Peeko went?"

"Peeko?" pondered May.

"Almost forgot, my name's Mr. Briney, and Peeko's my precious Wingull," explained the old man, "my beloved Peeko and I were on our walk when she suddenly disappeared. I think some scoundrel took off with my Peeko!"

"I haven't seen anyone with a stolen Pokémon," replied May, "but I'll see what I can do."

After that, Mr. Briney continued his search. Soon, the lobby door opened, prompting May to enter. Inside the Gym, Roxanne was waiting for May.

"So," said Roxanne, "you must be my first challenger this morning."

"Pretty much," replied May, "I'm May, and I moved to Littleroot Town yesterday."

"So you're new here?" pondered Roxanne, "do you mind if I introduce myself?"

"You don't need to, Roxanne," said May.

"Never mind then," replied Roxanne, "I decided to become a Gym Leader so I can apply my knowledge from the Trainer's school in battle. Are you ready to demonstrate your potential?"

May nodded as she sent out a Torchic. Unfortunately, Roxanne shook her head in disappointment.

"Are you kidding me?" commented Roxanne, "that's a Fire type."

Roxanne then sent out a Geodude, and May gaped in surprise as she then realized that sending out Torchic was a bad idea. It only knew how to scratch, use the Ember ability and it just learned how to peck yesterday. May returned Torchic to its Pokéball before sending out Seedot.

"Geodude," commanded Roxanne, "Rock Throw!"

"Dodge," instructed May, "and use Bullet Seed!"

Geodude tossed some rocks at Seedot, but Seedot quickly dodged the attack and launched a volley of bullet seeds at the Geodude, which quickly knocked it out for the count. Roxanne then sent out another Geodude. Seedot launched another Bullet Seed, which made short work of the second Geodude. Roxanne then sent out a Nosepass, and May switched out Seedot for Taillow, hoping that she could use variety in her battle.

"Nosepass," commanded Roxanne, "Rock Tomb!"

Nosepass then launched huge rocks at Taillow, which entombed it. Now that Taillow was down for the count, May instantly regretted her choice as she returned it to its Pokéball.

"Damn it," muttered May.

May can't just send out Torchic again, since its Ember might not work on Nosepass, and she didn't want to risk setting the Gym on fire, so she sent back out Seedot. Nosepass then entombed Seedot with some more huge rocks. Fortunately, Seedot managed to make it out ok, as it then launched a Bullet Seed, which finished off the Nosepass.

"Well," said Roxanne, as she returned Nosepass to its Pokéball, "I guess I still have much to learn just like you do."

May nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Seedot began to glow.

"Hey Roxanne," gasped May, "what's happening?"

"Just watch," said Roxanne.

While glowing, Seedot changed its shape, and it soon stopped glowing, revealing a Nuzleaf.

_"Oh, that's right!"_ thought May, _"some Pokémon evolve like this."_

Roxanne then approached May with the Stone Badge and a Technical Machine in her hand.

"Well," she said, "you did beat me fair and square. I bestow you with the Stone Badge and Rock Tomb."

"Thanks," replied May, accepting the badge.

Now that she has her first badge, May returned to the Pokémon Center and healed up her Pokémon. As she headed outside, she suddenly heard a loud noise.

"Stop, thief!" shouted a Devon researcher.

May recognized the Devon researcher from Petalburg Woods from yesterday, as he chased another Team Aqua thug through the city. Without hesitation, May pursued them to the edge of the city, where the Devon researcher was gasping for breath as he seemed tired from all that running.

"Did that guy steal something from you?" asked May.

"Of course he did," answered the researcher, "that Team Aqua thug stole the Devon Goods! If I don't get them back, I'm going to be in serious trouble."

"_Those thugs sure are persistent when it comes to causing trouble,"_ thought May.

May then headed east into Route 116. While meandering through the tall grass and coming across a few trainers, May found herself before the entrance to Rusturf Tunnel. Maybe that's where the Team Aqua thug went. Upon entering the tunnel, she noticed the Team Aqua thug, who was holding a package along with a Wingull.

"Wait a minute," whispered May, "is that the stolen Wingull Mr. Briney was talking about?"

The Team Aqua thug soon noticed May's presence.

"What?" taunted the thug, "you want some?"

May marched directly toward the thug, who back up into a dead end.

"Oh, keelhaul it all!" spouted the thug, "that hostage Pokémon turned out to be worthless, and this tunnel leads to nowhere! Some criminal I am…"

"That makes you look more like an idjit than a criminal," commented May.

Annoyed, the thug sent out a Poochyena as May sent out her Taillow.

"Taillow," directed May, "use Peck!"

Unfortunately, Taillow did not do what she said.

"What?" whispered May.

"Ha," taunted the thug, "your Pokémon doesn't like you!"

"Oh, shut up!" barked May.

"Tackle!" commanded the thug.

Poochyena then charged at Taillow, who jumped out of the way.

"Come on, Taillow," pleaded May, "we've gotta teach this guy a lesson!"

Taillow still refused to listen.

"_Wait,"_ thought May, _"is it still mad at me for sending it out against Roxanne?"_

May sighed as she returned Taillow into its Pokéball. Then, she sent out Torchic. The thug's Poochyena then charged at Torchic, but Torchic quickly dispatched it by giving it a peck and then a big scratch. After returning the Poochyena into its Pokéball, the Team Aqua thug dropped the Wingull and the package as he fled the tunnel.

"Good riddance," thought May.

Just then, Torchic started to glow just like Nuzleaf did back in Rustboro Gym. Wait, is Torchic evolving, too? After a brief moment, the Torchic changed shape and became a Combusken. After analyzing it with her Pokédex, May noticed that Combusken is not only a Fire Type, but also a Fighting Type.

"Awesome!" smiled May.

May then picked up the package and glanced at the Wingull.

"Hey, little fella," said May, "are you ok?"

The Wingull nodded. Just then, Mr. Briney arrived in Rusturf Tunnel and his face soon lit up.

"Peeko," chirped Mr. Briney, "I am so glad to see that you're safe! I owe you my thanks, miss, um…"

"I'm May," said May.

"Well then," replied Mr. Briney, "I sincerely thank you. If you have the need to set sail out to the sea, just find me at the cottage south of Petalburg Woods."

Mr. Briney and his Wingull, Peeko, left the tunnel happily. May also exited the tunnel and met up with the Devon researcher, who was still waiting at the edge of Rustboro City. His face lit up as he saw May carrying the package in her hands.

"You got the goods back?" exclaimed the researcher, "thank you so much, you are a lifesaver! There is someone I think you should meet."

After May returned the package to the researcher, he then escorted May to a tall building with the Devon Corporations logo on the façade as decoration. After entering the building, they went up to the third floor, and straight towards a door labeled as "President's Office".

Once they entered the office, May noticed that there were glittering stones inside display cases arranged around the room. She then glanced at a man in a suit. Could this guy be the president of this corporation?

"So, you must be the trainer that saved our staff twice?" he asked.

"That's right," answered May.

"I'm Mr. Stone," he continued, "the President of the Devon Corporation. I do have a favor to ask of you; would you mind delivering that package to Captain Stern? You can find him in the Shipyard in Slateport. Also, I have a letter that I would like you to deliver to Steven Stone in Dewford along the way."

Mr. Stone then handed a letter to May as the researcher handed the package to her.

"Ok then," said May, "leave it to me! Although, I wonder why those thieves would even _**want**_ those goods in the first place…"

"Also," added Mr. Stone, "I would like you to have this. It's called a Pokémon Navigator, or PokéNav, for short. It has a map of Hoenn built into it, and it has a few more nice features as well. In fact, it's an indispensable tool for any Trainer on an adventure."

Mr. Stone then gave May the PokéNav as he described it. Mr. Stone then dismissed May as she left the building.

Outside, when she looked on her right, she gasped in surprise as she caught a glimpse of a massive Pokémon diving into the ocean. Wait, was that the same mysterious Pokémon she saw yesterday? Well, if so, it probably wasn't in sight for very long, so May continued to head south.

Soon, May came across another sign just like the one in Littleroot Town.

"_Ok,"_ thought May, _"so I guess this whole region is still in some sort of drought."_

May examined her PokéNav that she just got. While exploring its details, she noticed that it had a weather forecast feature. Unfortunately, the forecast indicated that there's still no sign of rain.

"Well," said May to herself, "I really wish I can find a Pokémon that can make it rain."

Before heading out to Rustboro City, May stopped by a local diner, where she ordered lunch. Surprisingly, Brendan was there as well.

"Hey Brendan," said May, "what brings you here?"

"I just got out of Petalburg Woods," replied Brendan, "so I'm feeling a little wasted here. Did you just get a PokéNav?"

May noticed that Brendan was glancing at her PokéNav, so she nodded. Brendan and May then registered each other's numbers in the match call feature that the PokéNav had.

"So," said Brendan, "on my way here, I walked by Mr. Briney. I'll bet he was on his way home."

"You mean that cottage south of Petalburg Woods?" asked May.

"That's right," answered Brendan, "did you know that he was once a great sailor?"

"Well," replied May, "not really, but thanks for letting me know."

May's and Brendan's lunch orders have been delivered by one of the waiters in the diner, and they started digging in. May's lunch order was a grilled cheese sandwich while Brendan's was tomato soup.

"Hey Brendan," said May, "I saw a huge Pokémon in the ocean near Petalburg Woods yesterday. Sadly, I don't even know its name. This one was blue and white with red stripes. Do you know the name of that Pokémon?"

Brendan thought over the question for a moment while eating.

"I really don't know myself," answered Brendan, "but there are rumors that this Pokémon has been venturing around the coasts of Hoenn. I guess it's probably looking for something. Then again, some people say that this one is a Legendary Pokémon."

"A Legendary Pokémon?" pondered May.

"Yeah," replied Brendan, "but it doesn't appear very often. Then again, I'm pretty sure you'll be the first Trainer to greet it."

"Thanks, Brendan," smiled May.

After finishing up with her lunch, May then headed out of Rustboro City, meandered through Petalburg Woods, and after exiting the woods, she came across a cottage that she passed by earlier yesterday. Could this be Mr. Briney's cottage? May cautiously entered the cottage, hoping that she does not piss him off by accident. Inside, Mr. Briney was feeding his Peeko some berries.

"Hey, Mr. Briney," said May.

"Why hello, May," replied Mr. Briney, "I'm so grateful that you saved my darling Peeko. Is there a destination you would like to set sail for?"

"Well," requested May, "I have deliveries to make in Slateport City and Dewford Town."

"No problem," replied Mr. Briney, "you've come to the right place. Alright, Peeko my darling, get ready to set sail!"

Then, Mr. Briney, Peeko and May left the cottage and boarded the boat near the deck. Meanwhile, the mysterious Legendary Pokémon was observing May at a distance in the open ocean.

"That child," said the Legendary Pokémon to himself, "perhaps she might be the one who can restore my power…"


	4. Chapter 4

Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri, not me!

* * *

May was enjoying the breeze as the boat was cruising south. Just then, her PokéNav rang, prompting her to answer. To her surprise, her dad was calling her.

"Hey dad," said May, "how did you get my number?"

"I just heard from Devon's Mr. Stone about your PokéNav," replied Norman, "so I decided to give you a call. Where are you now? It sounds pretty windy."

"I'm taking a boat ride to Dewford," answered May.

"Oh," replied Norman, "so basically you're doing ok. Take care."

After that, May's dad hung up, and May continued to bask in the breeze. Just then, May noticed a huge island dead ahead.

"Ahoy," announced Mr. Briney, "we've hit land in Dewford!"

Before long, the boat pulled into the deck at Dewford City. Shortly after that, Mr. Briney and May disembarked.

"So," said Mr. Briney, "I suppose you're off to deliver something in Dewford?"

"Yeah," replied May, "then again, I wonder if there's anything interesting in Dewford."

"Dewford has a Gym of its own," said Mr. Briney, "until then, just give us a holler when you're ready to set sail for Slateport!"

"Ok then," replied May.

May then set foot into Dewford Town and took a brief while to explore the place. After realizing that there was no Poké Mart in Dewford, May felt rather disappointed. Then again, she came across a fisherman who gave her a fishing rod, and she also ran into a hiker, who gave her a flashlight.

May looked all over Dewford, but she couldn't find Steven. She checked the map on her PokéNav and realized that Granite Cave was nearby. May decided to head for the Gym, but when she made a reservation for her match, she realized that she has to wait until tomorrow for her Gym battle. Disappointed, May decided to head for Granite Cave instead.

Upon entering the cave, May wandered through the cave, betting that Steven would be here, but where? As she climbed down a level, she realized that it was dark down here. Fortunately, the flashlight she got came in handy, as it allowed her to navigate through the cave more easily.

After meandering through the cave and catching an Aron in the process, May came across a young man with bluish gray hair examining a few stones.

"Excuse me," said May, "are you Steven Stone?"

Startled, the young man glanced at May.

"Well, of course," replied the young man, "what brings you here?"

May pulled out the letter from Mr. Stone and held it out to Steven.

"This is for you," she said.

"Oh," replied Steven, "and you went through all this trouble to deliver it to me?"

Steven took the letter and gave a Technical Machine to May.

"As a thank you," continued Steven, "I'm giving you this. It's called Steel Wing, which I consider my favorite move. In fact, your Pokémon seem capable. If you continue training, there's a chance that you might become a champion of the Hoenn League one day."

"You really think so?" exclaimed May.

Steven nodded.

"How about we register our numbers?" suggested Steven.

May nodded as she pulled out her PokéNav. After registering each other's numbers, Steven left the chamber. May exited the cave shortly afterwards. It was getting dark by then, so she retreated to the Pokémon Center for the night.

The following morning, after getting geared up, May headed for the Pokémon Gym. Inside the lobby, May sat on one of the chairs while waiting for her next battle. She remembered to read the sign at the Pokémon Gym this time as she learned that Brawly uses Fighting type Pokémon, so she figured that Aron would not be a good option this time around. Just then, Brawly himself came through the door.

"So," said Brawly, "you ready to start your match?"

"Well," replied May, "here goes nothing!"

Brawly then escorted May into the Gym. To her surprise, it was really dark just like Granite Cave, but it only had a few dim lights so she can barely see where she is going.

"Hey Brawly," asked May, "why is it dark in here?"

"Because I've been training in the pitch-black cave," answered Brawly, "that's why!"

"_At least I can see in this Gym,"_ thought May, _"it would be awful if I had to fight in pitch-black darkness."_

"So, May," continued Brawly, "let's see what you're made of!"

Brawly then sent out a Machop while May sent out her Combusken.

"Machop," commanded Brawly, "Karate Chop!"

"Combusken," directed May, "use Peck!"

Machop dashed at Combusken with its arm at the ready, but Combusken quickly gave Machop a nice peck in the face, which surprisingly knocked it out without a sweat.

"Not bad, May," commented Brawly, returning Machop to its Pokéball.

Brawly then sent out a Meditite. Combusken quickly charged at Meditite, who gave it a nice Focus Punch. Combusken barely recovered from the attack and gave Meditite a few pecks to dispatch it. Brawly then sent out his Makuhita. Combusken was barely standing by then, so May returned it to its Pokéball.

She soon sent out Taillow, who quickly glared at her.

"Makuhita," commanded Brawly, "Vital Throw!"

"Taillow," directed May, "use Peck!"

Taillow once again refused to listen to May's orders. Instead, it flew up and perched onto a beam high up in the Gym.

"Looks like your Taillow doesn't like getting its wings dirty," commented Brawly.

May gazed at Taillow in guilt as she still remembered that incident during her battle with Roxanne. She can't just send out Combusken again, since it is still barely hanging on, and she's not even sure how Nuzleaf would be able to handle the fight. If only she could make up for her mistake somehow…

"Taillow," pleaded May, "please come down here! I can't finish this Gym battle by myself!"

Taillow still refused to listen to May. It looked like May was in a slump. But she can't give up just now.

"Look, I'm sorry I sent you out against Roxanne yesterday," called May, "it was a _**really**_ stupid idea on my part, and I shouldn't have done that. Will you please forgive me?"

Taillow gazed at May after hearing her words. Then it jumped off the beam, spread its wings wide open and dived at the Makuhita. May was not only surprised that Taillow just learned Wing Attack, but it also listened to her. Maybe redemption really is worth it in the end. With a direct hit from its Wing Attack, and a few pecks while dodging Makuhita's Arm Thrusts, Taillow managed to take down Makuhita, thus ending the Gym battle.

"Wow," exclaimed Brawly, "you made a bigger splash than I expected!"

After returning Makuhita to its Pokéball, Brawly approached May with the Knuckle Badge and a Technical Machine in his hand.

"Well," said Brawly, "I guess you got me, so take this Knuckle Badge and Bulk Up."

"Thanks, Brawly," replied May.

After accepting her reward and registering his number into the PokéNav, May left the Gym and headed for the boat, where Mr. Briney was waiting.

"So," said Mr. Briney, "are you ready to head out to Slateport?"

"Yep," replied May, "I delivered the letter and I got my Gym Badge, so I'm all set!"

May and Mr. Briney then boarded the boat and set sail. It may have felt like a whole day, but the boat soon landed near the beach and May disembarked. She scurried up north until she reached Slateport City.

_"Now,"_ thought May, _"where would that Shipyard be?"_

May wandered throughout the city in search for the Shipyard. Along the way, she was given a PokéBlock Case by a lady who was making PokéBlocks in a contest hall. May soon found the Shipyard after a short while.

Upon entering the building, May looked around the place in search of Captain Stern. Unfortunately, it looked like he was nowhere to be found, so she approached a worker who was examining a blueprint.

"Excuse me," asked May, "do you know where Captain Stern is?"

The worker noticed that May was holding the package given by Mr. Stone.

"Captain Stern went off somewhere," answered the worker, "he said that he had some work to do."

"So," replied May, "I guess I should go find him. Thanks for your help."

"No problem," said the worker, "by the way, I'm Dock, and Captain Stern commissioned me to design a ferry."

"_So that explains about the blueprints on the table,"_ thought May.

May then left the Shipyard and began her search for Captain Stern. She hasn't really seen him anywhere around Slateport, so she assumed that he might be in the Oceanic Museum that she passed by earlier.

Upon entering, she noticed that there were a bunch of people garbed in the same outfit like that Team Aqua thug she fought yesterday. Of course, she had to pay a fee to enter the museum itself. After that, May wandered around the museum in hopes of finding Captain Stern. After ascending the staircase to the second floor, May came across a middle-aged man gazing at a model of a boat.

"Excuse me," asked May, "are you Captain Stern?"

The man turned to glance at May.

"Of course I am," he answered, "what do you need?"

"I have a package for you," said May, holding out the package.

"Oh," exclaimed Stern, "those are the parts that I ordered from Mr. Stone! Thank you, now we can prepare for our expedition!"

Just as May gave the package to Captain Stern, they were suddenly ambushed by two Team Aqua thugs.

"Hold it," interrupted a Team Aqua thug, "we'll take the parts!"

"What," warbled Stern, "who the hell are you people?"

"We're Team Aqua," said another thug, "and our boss needs those parts, so shut your yap and fork them over!"

"As if I'm going to let _**that**_ happen," barked May, "you two big pieces of fatso!"

The Team Aqua grunts each sent out a Carvanha and a Zubat while May sent out her Nuzleaf and her Taillow. The Zubat attempted to use Leech Life at one of May's Pokemon while the Carvanha attempted to bite one of them. However, Nuzleaf launched a barrage of Bullet Seeds at the Carvanha while Taillow used its Wing Attack at Zubat. May was able to defeat the Team Aqua thugs quite easily. Suddenly…

"Arrgh," roared a voice from behind the thugs, "I didn't count on being meddled with by some little twerp!"

Before them stood a tall man garbed in black with a blue bandanna as he marched toward May.

"You know who we are," he said, "right, little girl?"

"Let me guess," replied May, "you're the leader of Team Aqua, aren't you?"

"That's right," he continued, "I'm Archie, and we love the sea! Now what makes you interfere with us? You don't even look like Team Magma…"

"Wait a minute," interrupted May, "who the hell is Team Magma?"

"That doesn't matter," replied Archie, "people, Pokémon and all life depend on the sea, and Team Aqua is dedicated to the expansion of the sea!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" barked May, "if you do that, then where would all of the people and land-based Pokémon live?"

"Does that matter?" replied Archie, "you're way too young to understand our noble objective. Besides, that drought is all Team Magma's fault, and don't even _**think**_ of interfering with our plans!"

With that, Archie then stormed off with the Team Aqua thugs following him as May stuck her tongue out at Archie behind his back. She then turned back to Captain Stern.

"My name's May," she said.

"Well," replied Stern, "thanks for saving us, May. Well, there's no time to lose, since we're about to begin our ocean expedition."

May nodded as she left the museum. With her objective accomplished, May headed out of Slateport City and began traversing toward Mauville City, unaware that the mysterious Legendary Pokémon was watching her from a distance in the open ocean.


	5. Chapter 5

Just to give you a heads up, this story is going to have a few minor twists as well since I'm focusing mainly on the premise of this story. I hope that puts your minds at ease in the future.

Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri, not me!

* * *

Just as May entered Route 110, she suddenly came across Professor Birch, who was reading the fire danger sign.

"Professor," exclaimed May, "what are you doing here?"

"Hello, May," smiled Professor Birch, "do you happen to know where Brendan is?"

"Not really," replied May.

"Oh," said Professor Birch, "so you two are running separately. I understand that."

May took a peek at the sign and was quite surprised that the fire danger is now labeled as extreme.

"I guess there is still no sign of rain," commented May, "is there?"

"Sadly, no," replied Professor Birch, "even the researchers at the Weather Institute tried to make it rain, but for some reason, they failed. It's almost like something is preventing rain from entering the Hoenn region."

"How did the drought get so severe in just three months?" asked May, "I thought they got more dangerous when they last longer than that."

"That's true," replied Professor Birch, "but we have yet to find out the cause. Until then, do you mind if I register you in my PokéNav?"

"Sure," said May.

May and Professor Birch then registered each other's numbers.

"Do me a favor and keep an eye out for Brendan," requested Professor Birch, "ok?"

"Ok," replied May.

Professor Birch then headed out for somewhere else. May continued her trek up north through Route 110, as she came across several more Pokémon trainers who were itching for a battle. Soon, she came across Brendan, who was feeding his Mudkip with a berry.

"Hey, Brendan!" called May.

"May?" warbled Brendan, "what are you doing here?"

"I was just on my way to Mauville City," said May, "so how are you doing these days?"

"I just caught a Chinchou," replied Brendan, "but I already have a water type Pokémon, so I guess I did something stupid."

"Don't say that! You could always catch an Electrike," suggested May, "I saw a few on my way here."

"I have a better idea," replied Brendan, "how about _**you**_ catch an Electrike and I'll trade my Chinchou for it?"

"Well, ok then," nodded May.

Just then, May suddenly noticed the mysterious Legendary Pokémon in the open water.

"Brendan," shouted May, pointing at the Pokémon, "over there!"

Brendan turned to glance at where May was pointing and he gaped in surprise as he saw the mysterious Legendary Pokémon. Not a second later, it quickly retreated underwater.

"Did you just _**see**_ that?" exclaimed May.

"Well, yeah," replied Brendan, "but apparently he's camera-shy!"

Brendan and May gave out a simple burst of laughter for a moment. Brendan then pulled out a Dowsing Machine from his pocket and held it out to May.

"What are you giving me this for?" asked May.

"There are some rare items that are often hidden," answered Brendan, "but this Dowsing Machine can help you locate them. Maybe you can find some interesting artifacts this way."

"Thanks!" smiled May.

May accepted the offer and placed the Dowsing Machine in her fanny pack as Brendan returned Mudkip into its Pokéball.

"Well," said Brendan, "I'll meet you in Mauville City, ok?"

"Ok," replied May, "see you!"

Brendan then headed north as May began searching through the tall grass for an Electrike. Meanwhile, the mysterious Legendary Pokémon emerged from underwater at a distance and continued to glance at May.

"It's not time yet, child," said the Legendary Pokémon, "please be patient."

After a while of searching through the tall grass, May managed to catch an Electrike. It took another while for her to reach Mauville City. While exploring the city, she came by a bike shop, where the owners kindly offered her a collapsible bike after she traded it with a nugget that she found with the Dowsing Machine. After that, she went to the Pokémon Center, where she healed up her Pokémon and went upstairs. There, Brendan was waiting for her near the trade machine.

"So," said Brendan, "did you find an Electrike?"

"I did," replied May, "so, are you ready?"

Brendan nodded. Then they both used the trading machine, which allowed them to trade between the Electrike and the Chinchou. Now that May has a Chinchou and Brendan has an Electrike, they smiled at each other.

"Thanks, May!" smiled Brendan.

Just as May left the Pokémon Center, she headed straight for the Pokémon Gym. After making a match reservation, May waited in the lobby. After a while, the door to the Gym itself has opened up, prompting her to enter.

Inside, she came face-to-face before the Gym Leader Wattson.

"So," said Wattson, "you must be my next challenger of the day?"

"Of course," replied May, "I'm May from Littleroot Town."

"Oh," exclaimed Wattson, "so you're Norman's kid! Well, I won't go easy on you, for I, Wattson, shall electrify you!"

Wattson then sent out a Magneton while May sent out her Combusken.

"Combusken," commanded May, "Double Kick!"

"Magneton," ordered Wattson, "Supersonic!"

Magneton emitted a Supersonic attack which Combusken dodged with ease. But instead of using Double Kick, Combusken used Ember against the Magneton, which took out Magneton with ease, but…

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" exclaimed Wattson, "be careful with those Fire-type moves, ok? You don't want to set the Gym on fire, do you?"

"Damn it, Combusken," scolded May, "I said use Double Kick, not Ember!"

Combusken looked at May, confused. Sighing in disappointment, May returned Combusken to its Pokéball as Wattson sent out Voltorb. May then sent out Aron.

"Aron," directed May, "Mud-Slap!"

"Voltorb," ordered Wattson, "Rollout!"

The Voltorb then charged at Aron while rolling, but Aron quickly dodged the attack before using a Mud-Slap attack to take down the Voltorb. The rest of the battle felt like breeze after that. With the Mud-Slap, Aron made short work of Electrike and Manectric, ending the Gym battle.

"Wahahahah," exclaimed Wattson, with his beaming smile, "I guess I've been electrified!"

After returning Manectric into its Pokéball, Wattson approached May as he pulled out a Technical Machine and the Dynamo Badge.

"Since you gave me a thrill," smiled Wattson, "here's the Dynamo Badge and Shock Wave!"

"Well, thanks," replied May.

Now that May has earned her third Gym Badge and has registered Wattson's number in her PokéNav, May exited the Gym. Just then, she ran into Wally.

"Hi May," said Wally, "how's it going?"

"I thought you were staying in Verdanturf Town," commented May, "aren't your relatives worried about you?"

"Yeah well," replied Wally, "since my health has been improving a little bit, I've decided to become a Pokémon Coordinator."

"Pokémon Coordinator," pondered May, "you mean you're joining Pokémon Contests now?"

"Yeah," said Wally, "Brendan helped us clear out the boulders in Rusturf Tunnel, so I thought I could reach Fallarbor Town just by taking the tunnel. But then that ledge is in the way."

"You could always try another path," suggested May, "but then, how did Brendan smash the rocks in Rusturf Tunnel?"

"He used this Hidden Machine called Rock Smash," explained Wally, "he even asked me to give one to you."

Wally pulled out the Hidden Machine from his pocket and gave it to May.

"Well, thanks," said May, "maybe I can escort you to Fallarbor Town?"

"That would be great!" smiled Wally.

After that, May and Wally headed north out of Mauville City and into Route 111. The sun was setting by then, but May was still determined to help Wally get to Fallarbor Town, but then she wondered if any of his relatives are going to chase him down. But then, they both ran into some crumbling rocks that were in the way. Fortunately, May activated the Hidden Machine Wally gave her and she sent out her Combusken to smash the rocks out of the way, allowing her and Wally to continue venturing north.

Of course, May came across a few Pokémon trainers willing to challenge her to battle, and she was able to strengthen her other team members since Combusken was currently the strongest of the bunch.

Along the way, May and Wally came across a gap of rocks that led to a desert. Unfortunately, there was a sandstorm going on in the desert, and May didn't want to risk getting herself or even Wally blinded by the blowing sand, so they took a detour into Route 112. Just then, they ran into Brendan.

"Wally," warbled Brendan, "what are you doing out here? Your uncle has been looking all over for you!"

"Sorry Brendan," said Wally, "I was looking forward to get to Fallarbor Town for my next Pokémon Contest."

"And you're willing to sacrifice your own health for just that?" retorted Brendan.

Brendan then turned to May, and he seemed disappointed.

"Well don't blame me," said May, "he asked me to escort him."

"I'm not really mad at you, May," replied Brenan, "it's getting dark out here anyway, so we should camp out here for the night."

"Are you serious?" warbled Wally, "but May doesn't even _**have**_ any camping equipment!"

"Not to worry," assured Brendan, "I have the camping equipment we need, so we're set."

"_What a relief!"_ thought May.

Well, it was getting close to the evening, and May didn't think that she would even go out camping with her friends. It took a while for May as she helped Brendan with setting up the camp. After that, Brendan pulled out non-perishable food items from his bag.

"That's our dinner?" warbled Wally, "I thought we were going to cook our dinner over a campfire."

"I'm sorry," replied Brendan, "but there's a total fire ban all over the Hoenn region except for Lavaridge Town."

"Wait," interrupted May, "what do you mean that Lavaridge Town is an exception?"

"Flannery is a Gym leader in Lavaridge," explained Brendan, "and she uses Fire-type Pokémon."

"Really?" asked May, "then how is she able to use them in battle without setting the Hoenn region on fire?"

"The rangers have set up a barrier last month that prevents any potential blaze from escaping," answered Brendan, "just in case a bushfire occurs by accident."

"Well, ok," said May.

After dinner, May, Brendan, Wally and all of their Pokémon settled down to rest for the night. Considering the information she got about her next Gym leader, May figured that she may have to prepare her Chinchou.

The following morning, after breakfast, Brendan, May and Wally prepared to head out again.

"Wally," said Brendan, "are you sure you want to go to that Pokémon Contest?"

"Of course I do," replied Wally.

Brendan then turned to May.

"Do you mind if I escort Wally to Fallarbor Town for you," requested Brendan, "so that way you can get your Gym Badge?"

"Thanks, Brendan," said May.

As Brendan and Wally headed towards the entrance to the Fiery Path, May pulled out her PokéNav as she is determined to figure out how to get to Lavaridge Town considering that there are ledges in the way. She then headed for the cable car station, and took a ride on a cable car to the summit of Mount Chimney, since she figured that it was the only way to Lavaridge Town.

But after reaching the summit, May gaped in surprise as she saw not only Team Aqua, but also plenty of people garbed in red hoods. Were those people part of Team Magma? Either way, it looked like they were in a huge dispute.


	6. Chapter 6

Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri, not me!

* * *

May disembarked the cable car and began wandering about the summit of Mount Chimney. She wandered through the members of Team Magma and Team Aqua fighting against each other with their Pokémon.

"_If both Team Magma and Team Aqua are here,"_ thought May, _"then where are their leaders? They have to be somewhere."_

Sure enough, May found Archie, who was getting into a fight with a man with red hair. But they weren't using their Pokémon, they were just bickering.

"Come on, Maxie," shouted Archie, "we _**know**_ you Magma Dingbats are the ones behind the drought, so confess!"

"We had _**nothing**_ to do with the drought, Archie," countered Maxie, "and your ideas of expanding the sea are stupid!"

"Stupid?" scoffed Archie, "my ideas aren't stupid, _**yours**_ are!"

"_Well,"_ thought May, _"time for some intervention."_

May sent out her Chinchou.

"Chinchou," directed May, "Water Gun."

Chinchou instantly sprayed water at both Maxie and Archie in their faces, which startled them both. May wanted to laugh at this situation, but as she returned Chinchou into its Pokéball, she is soon met with angry eyes from both leaders.

"Damn it, kid!" roared Archie, "I _**told**_ you not to interfere, didn't I?"

"So _**you're**_ the kid that was meddling with Team Aqua," added Maxie, "and now you interfere with Team Magma?"

"So what?" countered May, "_**both**_ of your ideas are ridiculous!"

"Foolish child," argued Maxie, "living things used the land to grow long ago, and that is why land is very important. It is the cradle of all!"

"You're wrong, Maxie!" roared Archie, "all of life came from the sea and you know that!"

"Oh really," spat May, "then how about I take you _**both**_ on?"

Maxie and Archie glanced at each other before turning their gaze back at May.

"With pleasure," smirked Maxie, "we'll teach you the consequences of meddling in other people's affairs!"

May jumped back a little as she sent out Taillow and Nuzleaf. Archie sent out a Golbat as Maxie sent out a Mightyena.

"Mightyena," commanded Maxie, "Bite!"

"Golbat," ordered Archie, "Supersonic!"

"Nuzleaf," directed May, "use Razor Leaf; and Taillow, use Wing Attack!"

Golbat launched a Supersonic attack at both Nuzleaf and Taillow, but they both managed to dodge it. Mightyena was about to bite at Nuzleaf's head, but Nuzleaf whipped up a Razor Leaf and launched it at Mightyena. Meanwhile, Taillow flew high up into the air and after spreading its wings; it dived down at Golbat and knocked it down for the count.

Just then, Taillow began to glow and change shape. It took a moment before the glowing faded, which revealed a Swellow.

"Nice work, Swellow!" cheered May, as she returned Swellow into its Pokéball.

With both Golbat and Mightyena out of commission, Maxie sent out a Camerupt while Archie sent out Sharpedo. May soon sent out Chinchou.

"You guys ready to go?" called May.

Chinchou and Nuzleaf glanced at May and nodded.

"Ok then," directed May, "Nuzleaf, use Razor Leaf; and Chinchou, use Water Gun!"

"Camerupt," commanded Maxie, "use Ember!"

"Sharpedo," ordered Archie, "use Crunch!"

Camerupt launched a fiery breath at Nuzleaf, who barely dodged it, as Sharpedo took a bite out of Chinchou. However, Chinchou unleashed an electric jolt that forced Sharpedo to let go. Nuzleaf then launched a Razor Leaf attack at Sharpedo while Chinchou sprayed water at the Camerupt. The battle may have lasted a little while, but May soon came out triumphant.

"You're a persistent little child," commented Maxie, "aren't you?"

Just as May returned her Pokémon into their Pokéballs, she suddenly felt a vibration on the ground. She noticed that Archie and Maxie turned to face the crater. Is Mount Chimney about to erupt?

However, a massive red Pokémon emerged from the magma instead, which caught all of the members of Team Aqua and Team Magma in surprise. May quickly pulled out her Pokédex and held it out in hopes of identifying this Pokémon.

"Groudon," chirped the Pokédex, "the Continent Pokémon. It is said to have created the continents and is capable of bringing forth intense sunlight."

"Groudon?" whispered May.

As everyone was gaping in shock and awe, Maxie noticed that there was a raven-haired middle-aged man holding a blue sphere in his hand.

"Ira?" exclaimed Maxie.

This Ira guy glanced at Maxie and snapped his fingers after giving off a scoff. Just then, an intense beam of sunlight bathed over Groudon.

"It's about to use Solar Beam," shouted Maxie, "get out of here!"

Maxie, Archie and all of the members of Team Aqua and Team Magma scurried away from the crater for cover. May attempted to scurry away from the crater, but she suddenly found herself paralyzed with fear. Archie stopped in the middle of his tracks and glanced back at May.

Without warning, Groudon turned to face May and launched a Solar Beam at her. Just then, as May closed her eyes, she felt someone tackling her down to the ground. She then started screaming as the Solar Beam barely passed over her.

After a short moment, the Solar Beam dissipated and Groudon retreated back into the crater. May opened her eyes and turned her gaze towards…

"Archie?" warbled May.

Archie quickly got back to his feet as he turned his gaze toward Maxie. Did Archie just save May from being vaporized by Groudon's Solar Beam? Without saying anything, Maxie led the members of Team Magma down the summit of Mount Chimney. Just as Archie prepared to leave, May got back to her feet.

"Archie?" called May.

Archie turned his gaze back to May as it seemed apparent that he heard her.

"Just forget about that little incident, kid," replied Archie, "it would be bad for your parents if that attack killed you."

Just then, Archie led the members of Team Aqua down Mount Chimney, leaving May puzzled.

_"Could this mean that Archie has a soft side somehow?"_ thought May.

May gazed back at the crater although Groudon had already retreated back into the volcano. She also noticed this man named Ira just like Maxie did. There were plenty of questions that soon started flowing through her head. Who the heck is Ira, and what kind of relationship does he share with Maxie?

May could continue to ponder about what just happened, but she remembered that there was a Gym Badge she had to earn, so she raced down the mountain through the Jagged Pass while training her Chinchou and her Aron. Before long, after passing through the psychic barrier, she reached Lavaridge Town.

After healing up her Pokémon at the Pokémon Center, May took a moment to explore the town. She bought several Lava Cookies in the Poké Mart while stocking up on supplies, and she even did a little investigating on the hot spring near the Pokémon Center.

_"I really wish I brought my swimsuit with me,"_ thought May, _"so I can try the hot spring myself. Oh well…"_

May figured that the hot spring will have to wait. She headed for the Pokémon Gym and made a reservation for her match. Just then, the Gym Leader Flannery just came through the door.

"Is it match time already?" exclaimed May.

"Yeah," replied Flannery, "we don't get many challengers here these days. I guess it's because of that stupid drought, but that's just me."

Flannery then led May into the Gym.

"So," said Flannery, "do you think you have what it takes?"

"I do," replied May.

Flannery then sent out a Numel while May sent out her Aron.

"Magnitude!" commanded Flannery.

"Aron," directed May, "Mud-Slap!"

The Numel caused the ground to shake, but it was only minuscule. Aron seized the opportunity and launched a Mud-Slap at the Numel.

"Take Down!" commanded Flannery.

The Numel soon charged at Aron. However, Aron intercepted it with another Mud-Slap, taking the Numel out of commission. Flannery then sent out a Slugma.

"_Oh boy,"_ thought May, _"a lava slug."_

May returned her Aron into its Pokéball and sent out her Chinchou. Chinchou then sprayed out water at the Slugma which easily made short work of the Slugma. May switched out her Chinchou for her Swellow just as Flannery sent out Camerupt.

"Magnitude!" commanded Flannery.

Camerupt stomped on the ground, which triggered the ground to vibrate, and this time, it was even more powerful than Numel's Magnitude attack. May staggered and fell onto her back as her Swellow floated in the air with no problem. After the rumbling dissipated, May quickly got back to her feet.

"Wing Attack!" ordered May.

Swellow spread its wings and charged right into the Camerupt.

"Use Overheat!" commanded Flannery.

Camerupt then unleashed a massive burst of flames at Swellow. Swellow wasn't able to dodge the attack, but it barely made it. Not wanting to face the same situation that took place after her first Gym Battle, May switched out Swellow into its Pokéball, and then she once again sent out Chinchou, which quickly sprayed water at the Camerupt.

With the Camerupt down for the count, Flannery sent out a Torkoal. Just then, May's Chinchou suddenly started to glow and began changing shape. It was only a moment before the glowing faded, revealing a Lanturn.

"Nice move," commented Flannery, "ok Torkoal, use Body Slam!"

Torkoal jumped up into the air and was about to slam Lanturn into the ground. However, Lanturn sprayed a Water Gun at Torkoal, which knocked it into a wall; therefore, taking Torkoal out of commission.

"I guess I was trying too hard," chuckled Flannery, "I just became a Gym Leader."

After withdrawing her fainted Torkoal, Flannery pulled out the Heat Badge and a Technical Machine from her pocket and placed them into May's hands.

"Maybe I really should try doing things my natural way," continued Flannery, "by the way, the Technical Machine I just gave you contains Overheat."

"Thanks," replied May, "now I'm set to face my dad."

"Really," exclaimed Flannery, "your dad is a Gym Leader? Now that's awesome!"

May nodded in agreement as she returned Lanturn into its Pokéball. As she left the Gym, she came across Brendan, who has a Marshtomp following him.

"Hi May," he said, "did you just get the badge from Lavaridge?"

"That's right," replied May, "so how's Wally doing?"

"I managed to get him to Fallarbor Town," said Brendan, "but then I ran into his cousin Wanda. Wally looked a little cute when he convinced her to let him continue participating in the Pokémon Contests."

"Really?" chirped May, "I wish I was there to witness it. Well, on my way here, I saw a Groudon emerge from the crater in Mount Chimney while Team Aqua and Team Magma were bickering away. But that's not all; Groudon also attacked us with a Solar Beam!"

"Wait," paused Brendan, "did you just say Groudon? That's a Legendary Pokémon!"

"It is?" pondered May.

"Yeah," continued Brendan, "there were rumors that this Pokémon would sometimes emerge out of the crater of Mount Chimney."

"Well," said May, "I guess I should get going."

May was about to head out of Lavaridge Town, but Brendan stopped her in her tracks when he grasped her wrist.

"Now what?" demanded May.

Brendan then pulled out a Hidden Machine labeled Strength along with a pair of goggles and held them out to May.

"Take these," he said, "I'm sure they'll come in handy."

"Thanks," replied May, "but you could've used a less creepy way of getting my attention."

"Sorry," chuckled Brendan.

After accepting these sudden gifts from Brendan, May headed out of Lavaridge Town, determined to face her dad in a Gym Battle.


	7. Chapter 7

Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri, not me!

* * *

May ventured through the desert in Route 111, and her new pair of goggles came in handy since it protected her eyes from the sandstorm. There, she found an interesting fossil in the desert. After heading out of the desert, May passed through Route 113 and Fallarbor Town. To her surprise, Wally had already left.

May continued her journey through Route 114. Just as she entered Meteor Falls, she ran into Steven Stone.

"Steven," exclaimed May, "what are you doing here?"

"I'm searching for meteorites," answered Steven, "so are you heading towards Petalburg City?"

"That's right," replied May.

"Well," said Steven, "take care then."

May then exited the cave and jumped down the ledges. She then ventured down Route 115 until she reached Rustboro City. There, she came across one of the Devon Researchers.

"Mr. Stone would like me to tell you this," he said, "thanks for delivering the package."

"No problem," replied May, "anything else?"

"Do you mind if I borrow your PokéNav for a moment?" requested the researcher.

May pulled out her PokéNav and held it out to the researcher, who installed a small chip into it before handing it back to May.

"I just installed the Journal feature," explained the researcher, "it allows you to take notes of any kind so you won't have to forget anything you consider important."

"Thanks," replied May, "I guess it'll come in handy."

After that, May headed out of Rustboro City. She still remembered that her Mom's birthday was getting a little closer each day, so she headed for the Flower shop. To her surprise, the gardening set has finally arrived, although she had to pay for it. Now that May has a birthday present ready for her mom, she ventured through Petalburg Woods while jumping down the ledges.

As she ventured through Route 104, May noticed that the sun was already setting. She felt a little disappointed that this meant she can't get her fifth Gym Badge today, but she figured that she can take on her Gym battle tomorrow. May soon arrived in Petalburg City and settled into the Pokémon Center for the night.

The following morning, May headed for the nearest Pokémon Diner, where she ordered her breakfast. To her surprise, her dad was there as well.

"Good morning, May," smiled Norman, "how are you doing this morning?"

"I'm just ready for my next Gym Battle," replied May, "but I do feel a little nervous."

"Well," said Norman, "I've been looking forward to this day when you challenge me."

Just then, one of the waiters brought over May and her dad's breakfast orders. May let out her Pokémon and handed them each a delicious breakfast meal that was part of her order. She then started to dig into her own order, which consisted of a couple of pancakes.

After finishing up breakfast and paying the fee, May returned her Pokémon and headed for the Petalburg Gym, and then made a reservation for her match. While waiting in the lobby, May checked the weather forecast feature in her PokéNav. To her disappointment, there was still no forecast for rain.

May quickly shut off her PokéNav as soon as she heard the door open, which led to the Gym. She could've listened to the full report, but she knew that there is a Gym Battle to win, so she entered through the door. Inside the Gym itself, her dad was waiting for her.

"Well," said Norman, "even if you are my daughter, a battle is still a battle."

"I know," replied May.

May then sent out her Aron as her dad sent out a Spinda.

"Aron," ordered May, "use Headbutt!"

"Spinda," commanded Norman, "Psybeam!"

Spinda launched a colorful beam at Aron, but Aron managed to dodge it quite easily. Aron then proceeded to ram into Spinda with its head. Just as Spinda launched another Psybeam, Aron stood its ground before giving Spinda another Headbutt, taking it out of commission.

May's dad then sent out a Vigoroth while May switched out Aron for Nuzleaf.

"Vigoroth," commanded Norman, "Slash!"

"Nuzleaf," ordered May, "pound it away!"

Before Nuzleaf could launch its attack, Vigoroth sprinted at Nuzleaf and gave it a nasty swipe with its claws. Luckily, Nuzleaf was still intact to an extent, as it gave Vigoroth a pound in the head with its fist. For a little while, it looked like Vigoroth and Nuzleaf were wrestling, until Nuzleaf launched a Razor Leaf attack that finished off Vigoroth.

Nuzleaf was barely standing by then, so May switched it out for Swellow. Swellow then flew high up in the air and charged right into the Linoone, but Linoone quickly intercepted Swellow with a Headbutt. Swellow quickly recovered long enough for it to charge into Linoone again; this time with success.

However, it seemed that Linoone wasn't willing to give up with ease as it then tackled at Swellow and pinned it down to the ground. But just before Linoone could give Swellow a nasty bite, Swellow gave Linoone a nasty peck in the chin, forcing it to let go. Swellow then charged into the Linoone once again, taking it out of commission.

May then switched out Swellow for Lanturn as her dad then sent out a Slaking. To her surprise, it seemed to be lazing about, so Lanturn gave Slaking a nice electric attack, which paralyzed it, however…

"Bad move, May," commented Norman, "Slaking, Facade!"

Slaking then started to glow an orange color before charging towards Lanturn, taking it out of commission.

"What?" warbled May.

"Facade's power is doubled when its user is paralyzed, poisoned, or even burned," explained Norman.

After returning Lanturn into its Pokéball, she sent out her Combusken.

"Ok Combusken," directed May, "let's finish this!"

Combusken then nodded in agreement as it then charged at the Slaking. Although Slaking lazed about frequently, it did give a good fight. This battle felt like a blur, but Combusken eventually gained the upperhand as it gave Slaking a nice kick under the chin, ending the Gym Battle.

Suddenly, Combusken began to glow and change shape.

"_Oh,"_ thought May, _"Combusken's evolving again?"_

After a brief moment, the glowing faded, revealing a Blaziken.

"Nice work," complimented May, "Blaziken."

Just as May returned Blaziken into its Pokeball, her dad pulled out the Balance Badge and a Technical Machine labeled Facade out of his pocket before approaching May.

"I can't believe this," breathed Norman, "you actually beat me? Well, rules are rules."

May smiled as she accepted the badge from her dad. Just then, he gave her a nice hug.

"I'm so proud of you, May," smiled Norman, "you used to be my little girl before we moved here, and now that you've become a Pokémon Trainer, I guess you have grown up a bit."

"Thanks, dad," replied May.

Just then, another man came into the Gym and approached both May and her dad.

"So," he said, "you must be May, right?"

"Yeah," replied May, "but who are you?"

"Almost forgot," continued the man, "I'm Wally's father, and I have something that I would like to give to you."

Wally's father then pulled out a Hidden Machine labeled Surf and handed it to May.

"This will allow you and your Pokémon to travel via water," he explained, "our Wally has become very healthy since went to Verdanturf Town. You did help him catch a Pokémon, right?"

"That's right," nodded May.

"I think that made Wally very happy," continued Wally's dad, "but that also made me happy, since he gained a friend like you. We owe it all to you!"

"Thank you, sir," smiled May.

After that, May left the Gym and after healing up at the Pokémon Center, she headed into Route 104. She wasn't really sure why she was doing this; but for some reason, she was betting that she might run into that mysterious Pokémon again. When she gazed out beyond the beach, she didn't find any sign of that mysterious Pokémon anywhere. Disappointed, May decided to head back to Petalburg City, but suddenly…

"Child," called a mysterious voice, "come over here."

Startled, May froze in her tracks.

"Who's there?" she demanded.

May turned her head in an effort to find the source of the strange voice. Then, she heard a soft growl that had her set her eyes on the beach, and she gaped in surprise the instant she noticed the mysterious Legendary Pokémon.

"_Did he just get here?"_ thought May, _"sounds like a coincidence to me."_

May was betting that the Pokémon would disappear like he always did. Instead, he was looking into her eyes. She seized this opportunity to pull out her Pokédex.

"Kyogre," chirped the Pokédex, "the Sea Basin Pokémon. It is known to have created the seas and is capable of summoning heavy rainfall at free will."

"_So basically,"_ thought May, _"I just went on a wild goose chase for all of this!"_

May figured that Kyogre was waiting for her, so she cautiously approached him until she reached the beach.

"Were you watching me this whole time?" asked May.

"Only on a few occasions," answered Kyogre, "I had to be sure that you were the right human to carry out this task. And now that I see potential in you, I am not mistaken."

"Wait a minute," interrupted May, "you said that I had some sort of task to carry out. What did you mean by that?"

Kyogre didn't answer, but he glanced at the fire danger sign.

"Wait," paused May, "it has something to do with the drought, doesn't it, Kyogre?"

"Correct," replied Kyogre, "I've been waiting for this day that I explain to you of what is happening. And yes, I am called Kyogre, the creator of the sea."

"So," said May, "you can make it rain, right? Why don't you summon those rain clouds and put an end to this drought?"

Kyogre shook his head.

"That is easier said than done, child," sighed Kyogre.

"Why?" asked May.

Kyogre's red stripes then started glowing as he seemed to take a stance. But after only a brief moment, nothing happened. Sadly, no rainclouds appeared in the sky.

"It didn't work," said May.

Kyogre's red stripes soon stopped glowing.

"Exactly," explained Kyogre, "that drought did not occur naturally. Even worse, something that caused this drought also took away my power. That is why I need your help, child."

"You can call me May," replied May.

May glanced at the fire danger sign before gazing back at Kyogre.

"What am I supposed do?" asked May.

"Find the Red Orb on the false mountain on the eastern side of Hoenn," requested Kyogre, "and meet me at the underwater cavern off the eastern coast. I am counting on you, May."

"Ok," nodded May.

As Kyogre left the beach, May pulled out her PokéNav and analyzed the map feature, while trying to figure out more about this false mountain. It turned out that she had to search Mount Pyre, which was near Lilycove City.

"_I guess I have to prepare for the worst,"_ thought May.


End file.
